The Challenge

One of the biggest challenges I encountered for this project was the lack of requirements and use cases. The client’s goal was to bring Telehealth to Canada and wanted to develop a mobile video conferencing platform. Conflicting ideas, a large stakeholder group including influence from the Canadian government all contributed to a wicked design problem. It was the start of an amazing journey.

Project Definition

The first task was to gain insight into the problem. After lengthy discussion the problem was defined as the lack of health care access in remote communities. Simply put, there are not enough family doctors to care for patients in small towns. Most doctors prefer to live in larger cities with access to hospitals and research opportunities. The idea was to provide small towns with access to doctors who lived elsewhere.

Idea Generation

This part of the process involved crazy brainstorming sessions, sticky notes everywhere, and rough sketches that no one could read. Terrible, funny, and a couple of great ideas were the result of this ideation process. Focus groups were invited and it was during these sessions that I learned more about the people (“the actors”) that will be using the platform.

Design Process

Mapping: I mapped out the user flow of a traditional clinic and adapted it to a digital medium with the understanding that the primary actors, patient, doctor and staff would be in different physical locations.

Wire frames: I created a low fidelity prototype using Visio.

User Stories: Using the wire frames, I create a deck or videos that narrates the user story. The stories describes each actor, and the steps the actor would need to accomplish an activity (E.g. Add a contact). During this step, inconsistencies in the wire frames are often found where the story does not match the interface. (E.g. The story indicates that a verified user badge will give the actor confidence that he is speaking to his actual doctor. However, the UI fails to communicate the purpose of the verification badge).

Prototype: I created an interactive prototype using Adobe XD. This stage in the design process is intended for testing and feedback and refining the user experience.

Use Case Document: At the approval of the prototype I created a detailed use case document intended for the software engineers. The document describes each screen, the possible interactions, alternative user flows and exceptions.

User Experience: Ease of use of the user interface was my primary responsibility. However I did not overlook the overall user experience. The negatives of telehealth was considered, and the perception that a virtual consult was not as personal or as professional as a face-to-face appointment. I worked with the operations team to ease these perceptions. (E.g. Training the doctors on how to simulate eye contact).

The Result

The platform has been featured in the Vancouver Sun and the Province as the answer to the health care crisis in remote communities. Currently Livecare’s platform is providing small towns and first nation communities with access to physicians and specialists.